Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-09
Managing Trains Automatically.

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Managing Trains Automatically.
One OF the acts passed at the last ses-
sion OF the Illinois Legislature is of spec
ial interest to ell railroad companies
whose lines enter Chicago or pass
through the state. II supersedes q
/ former law which required I'll trains TO-
come TO full stop before crossing the
tracks OF an interseCting road, and give
the board of railway and warehouse com
! 1niSaionerS power to accept or reject any
! blocking and signalling device adopted
! By any roads where their tracks cross.
II Indiana and most Of the eastern and
middle states similar law has been in
operation for several years, ard il is
only when q west bound train crosses the
line into Illinois that it is subjected 10
the necessity Of stopping st every cross
ing. The annoyance to passengers and
6rainmen 81 the delay oCCasioneG and the
loss TO the company IN time, fuel, and
wear and tear Of track and rolling stock
by the antiquatad system resulted in &
number Of Intellectual attempts TO pro-
cure The required legislation. TIE in
terloCking aud switching systems N use
by nearly all roads IN other states
performed their work satisfactorily,
aud al that YVES needed was the
passage Of 6 law authorizing their
adoption. Two ye6Gs ago the Lsae Shore
Company, believing that the Legislature,
then il session, would pass the desired
law, adopted 9 costly ard complicated
/ apphenCe, which was set up where their
( tracks and those Of the Rock Island Road
cross the stock yard tracks, near FOrtieth
J
/ in use ever since, except that Gil trains
have been obliged 10 stop according to
law instead of reamng the advantage
safely afforded by the device to 90
straight ahead. The devices in general
use in other states are equally adapted to
the manipulation of switches, and for
inst purpose have been in operation on
several lines IL illinois for q year or two
Yesterday officials of q number OF the
lines CgrteJing here informed g Tribune
reporter thst their companies would ke /
use Of the new law as speedily IS posi- !
BILE. General Manager Chapptli OF The
Chicago and Alton said that his road was !
negotiating FOR new crossing near
Springfield, and that some Of the inter !
locking and switching systems would cer-
talnly De IGgdG use Of. Division Super !
intyLders Amsdeu OF the Lake Shore said |
that g SO0n Us their system at FOrtIeth |
street had been approved by the board q /
commissioners they you'd begin 10 send |
trains Straight through without stopping, |
and that the same system would be |
ADOPTED n other points.
There are two principal iuterIOckiag |
and switching systems, both being man
ufac;uIed and controlled by the Union .
Switch and Signal Company OF PIttsburg
The system best adapted 10 complex f.
crossing Of many lines or near large .
cities is q complex affair operated By /
hydraulic OF pneumatic pressure, and |
costs good many thousand dollars. The |
other Is system of levers st different
points and operated by man-pOWer. The |
first system, which is IN operation at the
Lake Shore and Rock Island crossings al
FUrtieth street and at several other eros
sings IN or near the city for switching
purposes, IS al entertaining piece of
mechanism. one man seated in little
room at the top Of 9 tower near the eros
sing can, st the expense of g very little
eyeTtioD, instantly block half a dozen
tracks, and operate dozen signals, haIf
of which are nesrly half g mile distant.
When he has done this it's impossible for
more thGn one train 20 make the crossing
Re has, with the same motion Of g little
lever, set all near and distant signals, so
that al but the proper train are distinctly
informed that they cannot proceed. If
they try 10 proceed ia spite Of the signal,
the condition Of the track has been made
such that they viii be deTailed before ar
irving within several hundred feet Of the
crossing. The mechanism Of the device
is such that no accident can result from
9 lack of vigilance on the part Of
its operator, nor even from any
Wjli'ul act OF his, the normal condition Of
the device blocking all tracks and setting
all signals ct the danger point. The act
OF opening the way for any train closes it
10 all others, ana while one train is cross
Ing the operator is pOWeTless to make any
change. The power used, il compressed
air, Is applied in much the same manner
as it is 10 the pneumatic brakes in com ,
mon use. a small engine located in the
basement Of the operators tower com
presses the air, which is conveyed III
pipes to the switches and signals. Each
switch, and signal, and device for derGil-
nc is attached TO the piston rcd of cyl
nder, the cylinder being connected with !
2 compressed air pipe, Before the opera
.OT IN the top of lis tower is 8 perfect
working model of the crossing, with sll
Is switches, derailing attachments and
signals; snd q number OF levers and keys
which, connected with the valves of the }
air tubes by an electrical cir !
,uit, enable him TO control the entire sys- '
EN- without leaving his seat Whatever
.hsnge is made in the crossing By the c
moving of any lever or key, precisely the
ame change is indicated simultaneously I
y the model in front of the operator. \ Y
Tell-knowa railroad man said yesterday t
hat 1t was hardly possible to compute c
he saving to a road which would result t
rom g removal of the necessity Of stop t
ling st every crossing Chicago Tri- q
'une.
a Judge OstracIsed. il
CHICAGO Ill LnlH S=Paners nnhlish ! I